Audio Video News

Denon AVR-X8500H AV Receiver: $3,999

Denon’s latest flagship receiver checks off every box on the Enthusiast Must-Have List, including all three immersive-surround formats — Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, and Auro-3D — and it provides 13 (yes, 13) 150-watt channels of brute power to back up its considerable brains. “If you want bang-up-to-date technology that works brilliantly, it’s hard to go wrong with this receiver,” wrote reviewer Michael Trei. Superstitious? Just make sure you don’t take delivery of it on Friday the 13th, especially if you happen to live on the 13th floor.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Clear, punchy sound
Beefy 13 x 150W Class-AB power amp
Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, and Auro-3D decoding up to 7.2.6 or 9.2.4
Minus
No HD Radio
Flagship price to go with flagship performance

Full Review Here

 

Jamo S 809 Speaker System: $1,497 (as reviewed)

After years of building speakers quietly in the background, Denmark’s Jamo decided to make some noise with its Studio 8 series. The Dolby Atmos-enabled 5.1.2 setup we reviewed delivers impressive performance with music and movies for the remarkably low price of $1,497. Indeed, it is a basic system with a pedestrian vinyl-wrap finish and a compact subwoofer bassheads will want to upgrade, but it produces a wonderfully cohesive bubble of sound that will make you smile. As veteran reviewer Dan Kumin put it, “The Jamo Studio 8 setup stands ready to deliver solidly enjoyable sound and a very welcome value while doing so.”

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Top-grade Atmos imaging and ambience reproduction
Connector-less elevation speaker hookup
Unusually good center-speaker tonal match
Minus
Minor upper-mid constriction
Minimal contribution from subwoofer

Full Review Here

 

ELAC Adante AS-61 Speaker System: $2,500/pair

Germany-based ELAC pulled off a coup of sorts when it lured noted speaker designer Andrew Jones away from TAD/Pioneer a few years ago. The AS-61 moves considerably up the price scale from last year’s Top Pick-winning Uni-Fi UB5 bookshelf speaker but in the words of veteran reviewer Tom Norton “gets most everything right,” especially when paired with the company’s excellent SUB3070 subwoofer. “The AS-61s’ sound impressed me immediately,” he wrote. “With good source material their top end was neutral—neither rounded off nor overcooked…The imaging was solid, and the sense of depth (when present in the recording) was satisfying.”

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Detailed, clean highs
Superb vocal reproduction
Bloat-free bass
Minus
Relatively low sensitivity
Limited bass extension

Full Review Here

 

Yamaha RX-V685 AV Receiver: $599

With more than a dozen AV receivers to choose from in the highly competitive $550-to-$700 range, the RX-V685 grabs the spotlight thanks to Yamaha’s unique and adjustable DSP-surround technology, which lets the listener dial in effects to suit speakers, room, and taste. Add to that a solid performing amplifier and a generous helping of useful features — including Yamaha’s proprietary YPAO room calibration system and Dolby Atmos and DTS:X surround decoding — and you have an impressive receiver that can be had for a price that’s more than reasonable.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Class-leading DSP surround
5.1.2-channel Dolby Atmos/DTS:X decoding
Useful Scene memory feature
Wireless surround speaker (and multiroom) option via MusicCast speakers
Minus
No 9-channel (front- and rear-height) Atmos/DTS:X expansion option
Slow DLNA audio streaming response

Full Review Here